Peruvian President Thanks Church for Flood Relief
Contributed By Jason Swensen, Church News staff writer
President Henry B. Eyring, on video screen, converses with Peruvian government leaders and Church officials gathered at the National Palace in Lima.
Article Highlights
- Devastating floods in Peru have left hundreds of thousands homeless.
- The Church has aided more than a hundred thousand victims.
- President Kuczynski thanked the Church for its emergency aid.
“Words alone are not enough to thank the Church for all it has done during this emergency.” —Nancy Lange Kuczynski, Peruvian first lady
Related Links
Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski recently reached out to President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency, to offer thanks for the Church’s relief assistance in the aftermath of historic flooding in Peru.
The two men spoke on May 9 via videoconference—connecting President Kuczynski at the Government Palace in Lima with President Eyring at Church headquarters in Salt Lake City.
“The purpose of this call is to thank The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the help it provided in a time of emergency that our country recently experienced—along with the sacrifice of the Church members and volunteers who [served] where they were needed,” said the Peruvian president during their discussion.
Also participating was Peru’s first lady, Ms. Nancy Lange Kuczynski—the self-proclaimed “First Nation Volunteer,” according to Peru’s Mormon Newsroom.
“Words alone are not enough to thank the Church for all it has done during this emergency,” she told President Eyring.
Peru’s brutal season of flooding has claimed the lives of more than 90 people and left hundreds of thousands homeless. The natural disaster has affected almost half of the country’s 25 regions and exacted a heavy cost in lost productivity from Peru’s economy, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Latter-day Saint humanitarian response officials have worked closely with Ms. Lange and other government leaders to deliver provisions where they are most desperately needed. More than 380 tons of Church-donated relief supplies benefited 103,000 flood victims.
Meanwhile, more than 3,000 members volunteered about 12,000 service hours to prepare 55,700 emergency relief kits.
The videoconference meeting lasted about 30 minutes. Also in attendance in Lima was South America Northwest Area President Carlos A. Godoy, a General Authority Seventy, along with area welfare manager Moroni Torres and area public affairs director Guillermo Estrugo.
The conversation between President Eyring and President Kuczynski was defined by warmth and friendship, the Newsroom reported.
The two men spoke of mutual friendships in the United States and discovered they shared much in common. At the conclusion of the meeting, President Eyring reaffirmed the Church’s commitment and love for the Peruvian people. He also invited President Kuczynski to visit him at Church headquarters when the Peruvian leader’s schedule permits.
There are more than 570,000 members in Peru, serving in over 100 stakes and districts.
From left, Peruvian first lady Nancy Lange Kuczynski, Elder Carlos A. Godoy, and Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski gathered at the National Palace in Lima for a videoconference with President Henry B. Eyring.
